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Fez to Chicago

The Chicago Bulls have invited veteran center Kyrylo Fesenko to training camp on a non-guaranteed contract, according to sources close to the situation.

Sources told ESPN.com that Fesenko is on course to sign with the Bulls by week's end after working out for team officials this week.

Chicago has been searching for an established big man willing to come to training camp on a non-guaranteed deal because league rules prevent the hard-capped Bulls from handing out any guaranteed deals heading into the season.

But sources say the Bulls, if Fesenko has a strong camp, could well ask the burly Ukranian to wait until the Nov. 20 range, when Chicago would gain the ability to offer him a pro-rated veteran minimum deal.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement hatched last December, teams that use certain exceptions -- exceptions reserved for non-taxpaying teams -- have to live with a hard cap.

The Bulls brought on a hard cap when they signed guards Kirk Hinrich and Marco Belinelli this offseason using exceptions reserved for non-taxpayers. Their payroll, as a result, can't exceed the hard-cap limit of $74.307 million -- and it stands at $73.5 million.

Chicago is thus forbidden from signing veterans to guaranteed deals and so it will sign Fesenko, like veteran guard Nate Robinson before him, on a non-guaranteed basis.

After spending his first four seasons as a reserve center for the Utah Jazz, Fesenko, 25, was picked up midseason in 2011-12 by the Indiana Pacers. Fesenko, though, appeared in only three games in Indiana, averaging 2.7 points and 3.0 rebounds.

The massive 7-foot-1 center is a huge defensive presence but has struggled in the NBA to avoid foul trouble and develop his offensive game.

Yet, he continues to intrigue teams thanks to his considerable defensive potential. Fesenko's short stay with the Pacers was seen in some circles as the byproduct of an unfortunate 2011 offseason during which he sustained a knee injury playing for Ukraine's national team.

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Re: Fez to Chicago

I like Fez, I don't see how he's any different than a bunch of 3rd string centers who are through the league. He protects the rim, is surprisingly agile for his gigantic size. You could do alot worse. I'm guessing he continues to get better and has a long unheralded career in the league.

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Re: Fez to Chicago

Too bad that he wasn't a part of Vogel's plans. We could really use him. I believe that if he gets the chance he will become a dependable backup big. So, I'm kinda bummed that he isn't on our team anymore.

Nevertheless, I'm glad that he got a chance elsewhere. Wish you all the best, Fez

Re: Fez to Chicago

I do think however though , that we are gonna be seriously regretting not keeping him and going after Mahimni..
I think if given the chance, he is gonna be a diamond for chicago...

The thing is Chicago can't keep him on their roster, unless they make a trade. They have to wait until his salary is prorated enough to fit under the cap, since they are had capped this season. The risk is when they cut him, someone could claim him, and they'll never have him in the regular season.

Re: Fez to Chicago

The thing is Chicago can't keep him on their roster, unless they make a trade. They have to wait until his salary is prorated enough to fit under the cap, since they are had capped this season. The risk is when they cut him, someone could claim him, and they'll never have him in the regular season.

And yet that was the best deal Fez could get. A non-guaranteed minimum contract that really isn't worth the minimum unless Chicago clears some salary. Apparently there's not much interest in Fez, except on Pacers Digest.

Signed in late March, when the Pacers were headed toward a showdown with Orlando in the first round of the playoffs, Fez was brought aboard to give the team size and six fouls to use against the Magic's Dwight Howard. When Howard wound up pulling the plug on the rest of his season thanks to a back problem, Fez was left without a role.

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Re: Fez to Chicago

Fez is a victim of our inexperienced coaching staff. This is a guy who has playoff experience as a starting center, plays great Defense, rebounds, and plays tough. Vogel should have put him in to back up Roy against Miami. He protects the rim. But Vogel treated him as an after thought, "and insurance plan". If Fez was given a real shot for the 20 games we had him he would be the back up center this season. But our coach preferred not to rock the boat. Who know how the offseason would have gone if Fez was already under contract with us. No need to trade DC for absolutely nothing in return.

Re: Fez to Chicago

Fez is a victim of our inexperienced coaching staff. This is a guy who has playoff experience as a starting center, plays great Defense, rebounds, and plays tough. Vogel should have put him in to back up Roy against Miami. He protects the rim. But Vogel treated him as an after thought, "and insurance plan". If Fez was given a real shot for the 20 games we had him he would be the back up center this season. But our coach preferred not to rock the boat. Who know how the offseason would have gone if Fez was already under contract with us. No need to trade DC for absolutely nothing in return.

Hmmm, Fez played for a very experienced coach in Utah. For several years. And they decided to let him walk. Hmmmm. Was he the victim of an experienced coaching staff in Utah?

I wanted to see him play more too. But I suspect the coaches know more about his abilities and limitations then we do. They got to see him going up against Roy and Lou in practice. And based on what they saw they decided that our best chance to win was to play Roy and Lou. I'm going to trust that they made the right decision. They had way more info than any of us do.

Re: Fez to Chicago

Too bad that he wasn't a part of Vogel's plans. We could really use him. I believe that if he gets the chance he will become a dependable backup big. So, I'm kinda bummed that he isn't on our team anymore.

Players who are or who could become dependable backup bigs usually get more than a non-guaranteed contract.
Decent backup bigs usually get 4 year contracts and even then you might have to give up a good PG to convince a team to part ways with him.

And who knows, maybe Dallas was one of few teams that did have some interest in Collison.
I don't think it's a coïncidence DC got traded twice, first for the expiring Murphy, second for "nothing".

Re: Fez to Chicago

I am officially fed up with everyones strange obsession with Fez. He didn't do anything for us, and hardly ever played.

But he's a giant! And can put one foot in front of the other!

Seriously, if this dude wasn't a goofball, which I do legitimately like, he'd be a nobody scrub. He IS a nobody scrub, but I mean in the minds of fans. I mean holy hell, talk about small sample sizes. I'm surprised the video of him clotheslining Kobe hasn't been posted yet.

Newsflash. Kyrylo Fesenko is a good natured giant human being that would not sniff an NBA contract if here the size of Jeff Pendergraph. Not even close. It's fun to put up a strawman that has very little basketball skills so you can debase management and the coaching staff I guess, until you actually watch the guy you want to get on the floor play basketball.

This super secret defensive stalwart monster couldn't get a 2nd contract from Utah (who's STELLAR with cheap goldmines, I'm looking at you Paul Millsap), couldn't get a contract until a 35 year old (or whatever Jeff is/was) backup bit player went down last year, and was a FA agent until days ago when a team that literally cannot sign him to a guaranteed contract gave him a camp invite because their big man depth is abysmal.

Re: Fez to Chicago

Fez is a victim of our inexperienced coaching staff. This is a guy who has playoff experience as a starting center, plays great Defense, rebounds, and plays tough. Vogel should have put him in to back up Roy against Miami. He protects the rim. But Vogel treated him as an after thought, "and insurance plan". If Fez was given a real shot for the 20 games we had him he would be the back up center this season. But our coach preferred not to rock the boat. Who know how the offseason would have gone if Fez was already under contract with us. No need to trade DC for absolutely nothing in return.

Inexperienced perhaps as far as head coaching experience goes, but certainly not short of overall coaching experience.

Regardless, I'm inclined to believe that our staff knew what they were doing.